Jonathan Lipnicki plays Crazyfrog73 in A24's Primetime

Jonathan Lipnicki plays a man known only as Crazyfrog73 in A24's Primetime, now in theatres after its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, the host of NBC's To Catch a Predator, the reality series that lured men seeking underage meetings into filmed stings. That collision drives the story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Crazyfrog73 is caught in a kitchen in a compromising position. He had hoped to hook up with a boy played by Skyler Gisondo. He is caught on camera. The sequence involves a can of whipped cream and full frontal nudity from Lipnicki.

Primetime is directed by Lance Oppenheim for A24. It was written by first-time screenwriter Ajon Singh, loosely adapted from an Esquire article by Luke Dittrich. The central cast includes Merritt Wever, Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers and Bokeem Woodbine alongside Pattinson.

Tony Revolori and Alex Winter are also in the cast, according to Slant Magazine. Variety describes Lipnicki and Winter as the film's quote-unquote predators in a review centred on Pattinson's performance, according to Variety. The film runs 110 minutes.

A24 bills the film as inspired by true events and positioned it as a theatres-only release from 25 September, as stated in its trailer, according to A24. The distributor maintains an official Primetime page with updates on tickets, merch and special events. Reviews have followed, including The Hollywood Reporter's "'Primetime' Review: Robert Pattinson Channels Chris Hansen" and Slant Magazine's "'Primetime' Review: Robert Pattinson Goes Full Monster in Lance Oppenheim's Media Satire".

Oppenheim said the casting of Lipnicki and Gisondo was deliberate because both started as child actors. Lipnicki made his acting debut at age 6 opposite Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire. Gisondo also came up as a young performer before moving into adult parts.

Lipnicki discussed the role with The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom in September. He talked through the kitchen scene and what it meant to take on such exposed work after a long time away from major sets.

The conversation continues a thread that goes back years. The Hollywood Reporter previously published an interview in 2017 titled "Jonathan Lipnicki on Finding a Second Act After Child Stardom".

What makes this stand out is the mirror at the centre. Two actors known first as children now play adults caught by a television trap. The credits tell that story on their own.